Elite Services, a company that catches and handles poultry for farms, has made a deal to take over Unity Catchers’ operations in Manitoba. The transition officially kicks off Oct. 1, said Chris Vanrietschoten, general manager of Elite Services Group.
WHY IT MATTERS: Elite Services is continuing the eastward expansion of its business footprint with the news that it will be taking over services in Manitoba this fall.
The move further pushes the eastern boundary of Elite Services’s operations. The company, based in Chilliwack, B.C. already operates on poultry farms in B.C., Alberta and Saskatchewan.
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According to their website, the company’s full suite of offerings includes barn washing and equipment installation as well as handling the birds.
“We are really proud of what we’ve been able to do in Western Canada and the level of service that we’ve been able to provide to the commercial poultry industry in Western Canada,” Vanrietschoten said. “Right now, it’s making sure that we do things sustainably and properly.”
The deal is a natural fit that combines Unity’s local Manitoba experience with Elite’s broader resources and scale, according to Vanrietschoten. Moving into Manitoba was part of the company’s long-term growth strategy, he added, saying the move was natural, given their extensive work with commercial agriculture and poultry sectors in the other western provinces.
No disruption expected
The changeover won’t disrupt existing relationships with Unity’s customers, the new providers said. All Unity staff will remain with the company under the Elite name. Customer contact points will be the same, and relationships that clients are used to will continue on, Vanrietschoten said.
“Elite has built its reputation over the past 20 years by focusing on professionalism, animal welfare and operational excellence. Our entry into Manitoba reflects our long-term commitment to supporting poultry producers across Western Canada with consistent, high-quality services.”
Moving on from controversy
The company has spent effort in the recent years to address past controversy and animal rights criticism. The brush with negative publicity stems from a 2017 incident, when when employees at a B.C. chicken farm were secretly filmed by Mercy for Animals, a volunteer Toronto-based organization, inappropriately handling chickens, including throwing hitting and kicking, media reported at the time. CTV News broadcast the footage in June of that year, and it was also posted to YouTube. CBC later reported that five employees were fired over the incident.
The company has come a long way since then, Vanrietschoten said, including “bolstering up” their hiring practices and aligning with industry best practices and codes of conduct.
“We feel that we’re really on the cutting edge of animal welfare,” he said. “I feel like we are always learning, continuing to grow, and that includes also this area as well.”
A list of commitments posted to the company website notes that Elite Services has set up an anonymous whistle blower program and an internal audit program to weigh compliance with industry standards and that they “make sure employees know their responsibilities and the process for preventing and eliminating unacceptable behavior,” as well as posting information in staff orientation and company vehicles about how staff can report issues.
The list also notes continued staff training on “humane handling and animal care.”
